Tuesday, August 24, 2010

Have you ever had the experience of reading a great romance novel and in the middle you have to put it down? Then every time you try to get back to it, it seems there is some other responsibility that has to take precedent over finding out how the heroine and hero finally fall in love? This has happened to me recently and made me very frustrated.

I’m reading Jennifer Ashley’s book, Lady Isabella’s Scandalous Marriage. It is a wonderful book, as usual for this author, and I expected to read it in a couple days, but alas, the best laid plans of mice and men and me often go awry (apologies to Robert Burns). First it was the forty college essays I had to review so I could post the final grades for my students. Then it was preparing for a completely different class for a new University. I was able to sneak a few pages here and there while my computer loaded information from my designated websites, but it has been very frustrating. I’m dying to find out how Mac and Isabella are going to reunite while a Mac impersonator throws illogical hurdles in their way. But I just moved and I have to take care of address changes, water service, cable not working, etc., etc., etc. Ugh, how frustrating!

Have you ever had this happen? What makes you put down a good book and deal with the real world first? What tears you away from a love story to face reality even though you know you deserve the break? Please share. Misery loves company :-)

Sunday, August 8, 2010

One of my followers wrote me about a complaint she had regarding some of the historical romance covers. I decided to share her thought and see what you think.

Covers, as a topic of conversation among romance readers, is not a new one. The recent (last 7 years or so) trend of showing only a body without a head, has been discussed numerous times on many blog sites. And the old “clinch” covers are, thankfully, far and few between now. But what this follower takes issue with is the tastefully done historical cover where the hero, heroine, or both is standing proudly against all odds. They appear beautiful, determined, heroic, and . . . modern?

Yes, modern as in present day. I would have to agree. I have seen some of these covers and despite the period costume, there is something too modern about the facial features. Now, who is to say that a particular face hasn’t been around the human race for eons and could very well be historically accurate? But sometimes historically accurate is not enough. If I’m reading a medieval romance and I come across the “f” word, it immediately throws me out of the period. That’s not to say the word did not exist back then because actually it did, but to today’s reader it is a contemporary word.

So, I think perhaps this follower has a point. She said when she sees historical romance covers with modern faces she just can’t get past it and buys a different book. When writers create fiction, their first duty is to suspend your disbelief. If the cover has one thinking “Macy’s” instead of “village market day,” the suspension fails.

Have you ever noticed a historical romance cover with a modern face? Has it bothered you or made you think twice? We’d be interested to know.